[ad_1]
China may have exceeded US military capabilities in the area of missile development and shipbuilding, and is likely to double its arsenal of nuclear warheads over the next decade, the US Department of Defense said in an annual report to US lawmakers. .
“China has already reached parity with, or even surpassed, the United States in several areas of military modernization,” including shipbuilding, conventional land-based cruise and ballistic missiles and integrated air defense systems, he said. the report, which was released Tuesday. .
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBM) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCM) with ranges of up to 5,500 km (3,400 miles), compared to the single type of US Army conventional GLBM. , which is limited to a range of 70 km to 300 km (43 to 186 miles), and no GLCM, according to the report.
China had developed its conventional missile forces without the restrictions of any international agreement, the report said. The country also has “one of the world’s largest forces for advanced long-range surface-to-air systems, including Russian-made S-400 and S-300 and domestically produced systems.”
“Over the next decade, China’s nuclear warhead arsenal, currently estimated at about 200, is projected to at least double in size as China expands and modernizes its nuclear forces,” the report said, adding that the goal is a “triad” with the development of a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, while enhancing land and marine nuclear capabilities.
Overall, the report, informally known as the “China Military Power Report,” describes the rapid development of China’s armed forces as part of its government’s plan to achieve a “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049. and “review the international order.” .
The Pentagon noted the progress that China’s military had made since its first annual report to Congress in 2000, which assessed the “armed forces of China at the time as a sizeable but mostly archaic army that was not well suited to the [Chinese Communist Party’s] long-term ambitions ”.
The latest edition “reflects the growing concern that the Trump administration has over the [Chinese Communist Party’s] ambitions for PLA and rapidly developing PLA capabilities, ”said Bonnie Glaser, China analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia gave a presentation on the report, hosted by the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday.
China’s missile systems “have our undivided attention, as you can imagine,” he said.
The Chinese Army Mounts Another Show of Force in the Bohai and Yellow Seas
In drafting the report, Sbragia said the Pentagon tried to use Chinese Communist Party and military documents whenever possible, while also working to filter out party rhetoric that may distract the American public and cause them to underestimate the highly ambitious China plans.
“The report does not claim that China’s armed forces are currently 10 feet tall, nor do I believe China does, either,” Sbragia said. “It clearly faces a number of challenges, and Beijing is working to overcome them, which is really an important point.”
“China is likely to seek to build an army that is equal to or in some cases superior to the US military or the military of any great power that China perceives as a potential threat,” added Sbragia, a former US Navy attaché. Washington Embassy in Beijing.
One of the main concerns highlighted in the report is the increase in Chinese land, air and naval forces available in the event of an invasion or armed conflict with Taiwan, which according to the report was 3-1 last year in favor of China but now it’s closer. down to 5-1, or even 12-1 if China’s forces in the wider region are taken into account.
Sbragia said these increasingly asymmetric numbers continued to shape America’s strategy and moves to reform the Pentagon’s own operations. “It certainly drives us,” he said, adding that it is a “motivating aspect of the work” in Washington that does not go unnoticed by the Chinese.
“The worst case scenario is the conflict, and that’s not where anyone wants to go,” Sbragia said.
The Pentagon report follows a series of pronouncements by members of President Donald Trump’s administration who pledged to counter China’s military operations in the South China Sea and near the autonomous island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. .
On Monday, Undersecretary of State Stephen Biegun called for closer Indo-Pacific defense relations with India, Japan and Australia, also known as “the quad,” and an eventual formation of an Atlantic Treaty Organization-style bloc. North for the Indo-Pacific. , partly as a bulwark against potential threats from China. Last week, Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien called Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea “ridiculous.”
Why China brought out the ‘carrier killer’ to show its strength
In Beijing, a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry dismissed the report, saying it misrepresented Beijing’s “defense policy and military strategy”.
“The report is filled with … cold war thinking … aimed at vilifying the modernization of the Chinese military, defense spending and nuclear weapons policies,” the spokesman said.
“Its purpose is to incite confrontation between the mainland and Taiwan, and exacerbate tensions across the Taiwan Strait,” he said, adding that Beijing could respond more depending on the circumstances.
Tuesday’s report addressed the theft of a U.S. investigation that could help China modernize its military, a concern that has become a top priority in every department in Washington, prompting the US Department of Justice. The United States to launch its “China Initiative” in 2018. more resources to counter such activity, and has led to a series of accusations against Chinese citizens in the United States.
Last month, Wang Xin, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to conceal his status as an active member of the China PLA. Wang was detained in June as he prepared to depart from Los Angeles International Airport on a flight to Tianjin.
Also in August, a US trial judge ordered Tang Juan to remain in custody, calling her a flight risk, after authorities said he was hiding his ties to the PLA. The Justice Department announced charges against Tang, Wang and two other investigators living in the United States earlier this year, saying they deliberately concealed their status as active members of the PLA. All were charged with visa fraud.
Another case came to light last week when the Justice Department announced the arrest of Guan Lei, who was not allowed to board a flight to China and after he rejected an FBI request to examine his computer. According to the complaint, Guan is under investigation for possibly transferring sensitive software or technical data from the US to the China National University of Defense Technology.
Chinese Investigator Wang Xin Pleads Not Guilty to Visa Fraud Charge
Sbragia, who studied Mandarin at Beijing’s Capital Normal University early in his career, said the departments of State, Defense, and Justice, among others, are trying to strike a balance, ensuring that American research organizations and universities operate smoothly. effectively even when your activities are monitored. so that any access does not endanger the security of the United States.
“I tell you, we are over it,” he said. “For a long time, it’s not necessarily that we didn’t know these things were happening, we just weren’t necessarily taking specific action.”
The Pentagon report also details to what extent the PLA may be planning to build a network of military logistics bases abroad.
“Beyond its current base in Djibouti, it is highly likely that the People’s Republic of China is already considering and planning additional overseas military logistics facilities to support naval, air and ground forces,” according to the report.
China has “probably considered” building such bases in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan, he said.
This article China may outperform the US military in missile development and shipbuilding, says US Department of Defense report first appeared in South China Morning Post
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post, download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
